“Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself,” said fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy in 1985. Could this be the reason bad hair days have the power to make everything else going on in our lives that day seem off-kilter and out of sorts—that it’s a feeling of not knowing or being ourselves?

Regardless of this theory holding true or not, here is the silver lining to your bad hair days: whether you left the house with a hair style that just wouldn’t behave, or it is the elements that have made good hair go wrong, there are tactics to help ensure your good hair days outnumber the bad, along with a few tricks to help fix those flyaways and frizziness.

Fight frizziness

If the weather has turned your hair style into a frizzy mess, there is little you can do that day. You can try spritzing some silicone-based shine spray into the palms of your hands and smoothing your hands over your hair, says Susana Hong, a hair stylist with Page One Management in Toronto. What is key is starting with a good routine at home to help prevent the frizz before it happens. “It’s important to use a heavier shampoo and conditioner to coat the hair,” she says. Hong recommends Tresemmé Smooth and Silky for its silk proteins, which till tame kinkiness without weighing hair down.

Battle static

Hong recommends using mousse
hair products if you tend to have a problem with static as it will coat the hair quickly and help provide the protection your hair style needs against the climate. And as with frizziness, you will want to ensure you’re using the right shampoo and conditioner. She suggests looking for hair products with ingredients such as keratin and olive oil—“ingredients that will coat the hair shaft and help defend against the outdoor elements.”

View the best celebrity hair styles for inspiration here!

More tips on beating bad hair days and perfecting your hair style on the next page …

Make an unruly fringe behave

You left the house with your
bangs where you wanted them and now they have a mind of their own and are going every direction. If you have access to a blow dryer, spray the roots with a bit of water and blow dry them into the direction you want them to go. No blow dryer handy? “Comb them into place and give them a mist with a light hairspray,” she says. And if the cause of your fringe problem is hat head this winter, try a looser hat or a style that sits further back on your head to help avoid the dreaded helmet head look.

Tricking your cowlick into place

“Too many women under use their blow dryer,” says Hong. “Many use it only for drying their hair when you should be using it to style and help set the direction of the hair.” By doing this, you won’t have to battle your cowlick, and you can give your
flat iron or curling iron a bit of a break. Devote an extra five minutes to your blow drying instead. If it’s flat, limp hair you fight against, flipping your head over and using a paddle brush with your blow dryer can help pump things up a little, she says.

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